Probability in Maths: Understanding the Likelihood of Events - 2023

Probability is an important concept in mathematics that helps us understand the likelihood or chance of an event occurring. It is used in many areas of life, such as in predicting the weather, playing games, and making decisions. In this article, we will explore the basics of probability and how it can be applied in our daily lives.

What is Probability?

Probability is a measure of how likely an event is to occur. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1, with 0 meaning that the event is impossible and 1 meaning that the event is certain to happen. For example, if you toss a fair coin, the probability of getting a heads is 0.5 or 1/2. This means that there is a 50% chance of getting a head and a 50% chance of getting a tail.

How Probability is Calculated?

To calculate probability, you need to know the number of possible outcomes and the number of favorable outcomes. The probability is then the ratio of the favorable outcomes to the total number of outcomes. For example, if you roll a fair six-sided dice, the probability of getting a 2 is 1/6, since there is only one favorable outcome out of six possible outcomes.

Types of Probability:

There are two main types of probability: theoretical probability and experimental probability. Theoretical probability is based on mathematical calculations, while experimental probability is based on observations and experiments.

Applications of Probability

Probability is used in many areas of life, such as in predicting the weather, playing games, and making decisions.

For example, weather forecasters use probability to predict the chance of rain, and gamblers use probability to make decisions about which games to play and how much to bet. In everyday life, we use probability to make decisions, such as deciding whether to bring an umbrella on a cloudy day.

Real-Life Examples of Probability

Probability has many real-life applications, such as predicting the weather, playing games, and making decisions. In everyday life, we use probability to make decisions, such as deciding whether to bring an umbrella on a cloudy day. Here are 5 real-life examples of probability explained in simpler terms for a 5-year-old:

  1. Flipping a coin: When we flip a coin, there are two possible outcomes - heads or tails. We can say that there is a 1 in 2 chance of getting heads and a 1 in 2 chance of getting tails.
  2. Choosing a color: If we have a jar of red and blue balls, we can figure out how likely it is to pick a red ball by counting how many red and blue balls there are. If there are 2 red balls and 2 blue balls, then there is a 1 in 4 chance of picking a red ball.
  3. Eating candy: If we have a bag of candy with 5 red candies and 5 blue candies, we can figure out how likely it is to pick a red candy by picking a candy at random many times and keeping track of how often we get a red one.
  4. Weather: When we look outside, we can see if it is sunny, cloudy, or raining. But if we want to know if it will rain tomorrow, we can use probability to predict the likelihood of it raining based on what we know about the weather patterns.
  5. Sports: If we are playing a game, we can use probability to figure out who is more likely to win. For example, if we have two teams and one team has 3 players and the other team has 6 players, the team with more players has a higher probability of winning.

Probability is an important concept in mathematics that helps us understand the likelihood of events. It is used in many areas of life, such as in predicting the weather, playing games, and making decisions. By understanding probability, we can make more informed decisions and better understand the world around us.

Test your knowledge with Upfunda Quiz!

  1. If one letter is chosen randomly from the word “BANANA”, what is the probability that the letter chosen is the letter “N”?
  2. A box has 10 blocks that are yellow and red. You are equally likely to pick a yellow block or a red block from the box. How many of each colour blocks are in the box?
  3. A number cube has numbers 1 to 6. What is the probability of tossing number 9?

(i) “2” of spades

(ii) A jack 4/52

(iii) A king of red colour 4/52

(iv) A card of diamond 2/52

(v) A king or a queen 8/51

(vi) A non faced card 40/52

(vii) A black faced card 6/52

(viii) A black card 26/52

(ix) A non ace 48/52

(x) A non face card of black colour 20/52

(xi) Neither a spade nor a jack 36/52

(xii) Neither a heart nor a red king 38/52

5. Two different coins are tossed randomly. Find the probability of:

(i) Getting two heads HH

(ii) Getting two tails TT

(iii) Getting one tail HT.TH

(iv) Getting no head TT

(v) Getting no tail HH

(vi) Getting at least 1 head HT.TH.HH

(vii) Getting at least 1 tail HT.TH

(viii) Getting almost 1 tail HT.TH

(ix) Getting 1 head and 1 tail HT.TH

6. All the sectors on the spinner below are the same size. If the spinner is spun once what is the probability that the arrow will land on the letter “D”?

Choose:

(A) 3/4

(B) 2/3

(C) 1/2

(D) 3/8

7. Which letter is the spinner most likely to land on?

Answers :

  1. C) 2 out of 6
  2. B) 5
  3. C) 0
  4. Ans
  5. Ans
  6. (D) 3/8
  7. D